Best boxed wines that are affordable, eco-friendly and delicious

We recently discovered this small, independent company and fell in love with its commitment to providing outstanding wine, championing small, personality-driven producers and end-to-end sustainability. Hailing from the formidable Bobo team, this is a red with some age. The production of this wine means we get a sustainable, organic, bag-in-box red that has had time to develop, age, and bring layers of character before being “boxed” and released. The merlot and cabernet franc grapes from Bergerac (a stone’s throw from Bordeaux) are fermented in stainless steel tanks before spending a year in subterranean concrete tanks that act like barrels, allowing the wine to mature, breathe, and develop before release.

Medium to full-bodied, with lots of personality and wonderful notes of blackcurrant, cherry, brambly blackberry, cedar, tobacco, and spice – it cries out for steak frites.

The viña sol it’s a perfectly gluggable, staple white for the fridge. Fresh and fruit-driven with simple notes of white peach, citrus, and a touch of floral character, it’s well-balanced and easy-drinking. Producer Familia Torres has a gold medal under its belt for climate action, ticking yet another box for producing quality wine with the environment in mind – and at accessible prices.

Sauvignon blanc drinkers – run, don’t walk. This sauvignon is well-crafted and beautifully balanced, with vibrant, thirst-quenching acidity and notes of zesty lime, gooseberry, green apple, and flinty minerality. Made for Adnams by Arnaud & Albéric Lechat, this sauvignon blanc truly reflects the Touraine region on the banks of the Loire River. Expect three litres of pure, zingy joy.

There’s a reason The Ned sauvignon blanc is a best-seller at Waitrose. It has been carefully crafted to highlight sauvignon blanc’s vibrant array of flavours. With selected yeasts and cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks to retain fresh fruit characteristics, the result is an exceptionally easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing wine with a broad flavour profile. This wine offers layers of zesty lemon, lime, juicy grapefruit, herbaceous notes, and that classic marlborough tropical passion fruit character.

Bobo’s packaging produces 90 per cent less carbon than glass bottles. The wine itself is an exceptional example of orange wine. Certified organic, it’s hand-crafted, with the viognier grapes spending three weeks on the skins, developing into a luscious, full-bodied golden nectar. Dry, rich, and savoury, this is a truly gastronomic wine. With layers of ginger, ripe peach, pithy orange, and stunning jasmine, it practically screams for food – think big, bold flavours like lamb tagine, rich winter stews, or the Bobo team’s recommendation: fried chicken.

Hats off to Tesco – this is a gorgeous example of an easy-drinking Italian blush rosé and a staple for the fridge door. Pale pink with bright red strawberry and vibrant citrus notes, this lovely wine is made in northern Italy from sangiovese and merlot grapes. Take us back to sunny days in the garden.

Another wonderful example of wine that reflects its region. With clear skies, 300 days of sunshine, and the Mediterranean Sea bringing a cooling influence, we get a scrumptious, dry rosé packed with strawberry, raspberry, and violet characteristics, alongside a touch of minerality and a light herbaceous character. Organically produced by Emmanuelle Baude on her small estate, we’re big fans of this expressive, quaffable rosé.

The Wine Society consistently brings us great wines under its own brand. This merlot-based, unoaked claret is a popular red, made for more than a quarter of a century by the family-owned Maison Sichel in Bordeaux.

Medium-bodied, smooth and easy-drinking, this is a fruit-driven, quaffable red with gentle tannins. You’ll likely be able to taste the plum, blackcurrant, and brambly blackberry notes. Drink it on its own, with roast chicken, or with some hard British cheese.

This wine deserves a feature, and although it doesn’t conform to the bag-in-box criteria, it’s a brilliantly produced, low-carbon, eco-friendly paper bottle of Italian deliciousness. Drink this wine guilt-free, knowing this bottle produces six times less carbon than a glass bottle.

When In Rome is the first wine brand in the UK to fully audit and publish its carbon footprint. The brand’s mission is to help the world enjoy Italian wine in a sociable, healthy, and environmentally sustainable way. This primitivo is a deliciously robust red with lashings of plum, chocolate, prunes, and wild berries. It’s great slightly chilled and paired with classic Italian dishes like Bolognese, pizza rustica, or grilled Mediterranean veggies.

We have seen firsthand how the Aldi buyers curate its wine selection, and we have to say it’s meticulous and admirable. They search for accessible crowd pleasers, with the consumer at the forefront of their decision-making. The wine itself is a classic Australian GSM blend – a big, bold reprobate of a wine. Deep in colour, smooth and silky on the palate, with lovely ripe dark berries, a touch of chocolate, and a pinch of spice. Aldi has done it again.

Waitrose’s own-brand Romanian pinot noir has been a best-seller in bottle form for years, and now the supermarket has released the wine in a 1.5l bag-in-box. The grapes for this wine underwent maceration for seven to nine days in stainless steel tanks to help retain bright fruit characteristics. It’s a perfect light and elegant pinot noir with notes of strawberry, cherry, and a silky texture. Serve slightly chilled, and you’ve got yourself a quaffable, delicious, and affordable pinot noir.